A generic piston is known for example from DE 10 2006 056 013 A1. Here, the piston comprises a piston head and a piston skirt projecting therefrom, wherein the piston head has a ring part in which in particular piston rings can be arranged. In particular, for reinforcing the piston, which is typically produced from a light metal, in addition a circumferential ring support is provided in the region of the ring part. Owing to the thermodynamic conditions prevailing in or respectively on the piston, in particular the high temperatures, the piston is additionally provided with a circumferential cooling channel. The cooling channel is arranged here spaced apart from the piston crown and from the ring part within the piston. A disadvantage here is that such an arrangement of the cooling channel constitutes a limitation for the size of a piston bowl on the piston crown.
A ring support for a piston of an internal combustion engine is known from DE 101 34 293 A1. Here, sheet metal part of the ring support is open towards a ring support part of the ring support, in order to form a cooling channel together with the ring support part.
From the applicant's subsequently published patent application DE 10 2011 116 332.1 an aluminium piston with a cooling channel is known, which is constructed with a central contraction. The cooling channel is formed in the piston by a casting process and is arranged radially within a ring support and separated spatially therefrom.